Detachable light housing for suction cleaner



July 22, 1952 SUTTON 2,604,578

DETACHABLE LIGHT HOUSING FOR SUCTION CLEANER Filed Jan. 16, 1948 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 INVENIOR. 11 59 2 Otis B. Suflon ATTORNEY.

July 22, 1952 o. B. SUTTON DETACHABLE LIGHT HOUSING FOR SUCTION CLEANER 2 SHEE'I'S SHEET 2 Filed Jan. 16, 1948 Fig. 3

Molded P/a s fie P asT/c fm Jrgnafkd Lamina/e flec fried C onduc Tor 9 4 INVENTOR.

Otis B. Sutton Patented July 22, 1952 DETACHABLE LIGHT HOUSING FOR SUCTION CLEANER Otis B. Sutton, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application January 16, 194s, Serial No. 2,708

/ 8 Claims.

1, This invention relates to suction cleaners, and more particularly to anelectric lighting device or headlight construction for an electrically operated portable, domestic household suction cleaner a type employing a substantially horizontally disposed motor having a suction nozzle, a fan case and a motor housing arranged one behind the other in the order named.

The suction cleaner is equipped with a lightmounting the electrical connections therefor for the dirt-finder light construction in which the electrical connections aresuitably insulated one from the other by laminatesformed from layers of paper or cloth impregnated with thermosetting and/or thermo-plastic material.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electrically-operated wheel supported type suction cleaner with a dirt-finder light construction that may be readily attached and detached from the cleaner in the limited space, usually available in various types of portable suction cleaners.

Another object of the invention is to provide converter cover plate in which the electrical leads are molded as inserts in the converter cover and act as the converter cover holding means as well as electrical conductors for the dirt-finder lamp.

Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide a dirt-finder light attachment for a suction cleaner having relatively few parts of simple and inexpensive construction and manufacture,

assembly and use. 7

Referring now to the drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed, and in which the same reference character refers to the same parts throughout:

Figure l is a front view of a suction cleaner embodying the dirt-finder cover plate of the present invention; 7

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional elevation of the improved dirt-finder cover plate shown in Figure l, and attached to a fragmentary portion of a suction cleaner;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the dirt-finder cover plate of this invention as detached from the suction cleaner; and,

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows, illustrating the method of aifixing the strip inserts forming the electric leads between the sheets of laminate for'positioning and insulating theelectrical conductors in a finished molded cover plate.

In the form of the invention as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, there is shown a suction cleaner having its operating motor disposed substantially upon a horizontal axis and enclosed within a motor housing It, forwardly of which there is provided a fan housing H in communication with a suction nozzle i2, the-Working mouth of which is indicated at I3. The aforesaid elements constitute the casing of the cleaner and they are supported upon front and rearwheels l4 and [5. The usual type of agitator it which may include brush and/or beater elements is driven through a belt i"! from a pulley IS on an extension IQ of the motor-fan shaft which'extends through the fan-eye to which a converter for the dusting tools for the suction cleaner is readily attached upon the removal of the dirt-finder cover plate and/or converter cover 20 of this invention. It is preferred to form the motor housing ll] of a suitable molded plastic material as well as the nozzle and fan housingconstruction of a suction cleaner although it is within the scope of the invention that the various parts of the housing or certain parts thereof may be either formed of molded plastic material or metal.

The nozzle I2 is preferably provided with a converter opening 21 having an upstanding supporting bracket 22 formed at the lower edge of the converter opening 2 l, as illustrated in Figure 2; Suitably affixed to rear face of the supporting bracket 22 at the upper edge thereof there is a resilient latch member 23 which is engaged by a complementally formed latch member 24 afiixed to the cover plate 20 by securing means 25. Depending flanges 26 and 12! complete the formation of the converter cover plate 20 and suitable sealing means may be provided between the lower edgesof the flanges 26 and 21 and'the outer periphery of the opening 2! toprovide an effective seal as. is well understood in the art to prevent excess leakage of airabout the edges of the converter opening contiguous to the converter cover plate 20 which would tend to reduce the efficiency of the suction cleaner A reflector construction 28 fora dirt-finder light source 28 is provided by a curved surface 33 formed by the lower front face of the upstanding supporting bracket 22, as illustrated in Figure 2. The upper portion of the reflector construction is formed by a curved surface 3! formed on the lower front edge of the cover plate 20. The lower front edge of the cover plate 29 which forms a reflector surface 3| is complementally formed with respect to the upper edge of the supporting bracket 22, as illustrated in Figure 2, and the complementally formed edges thereof may be sealed in a suitable manner to prevent leakage of air within the suction nozzle [2 which would tend to reduce the efficiency of the cleaner. The reflecting surfaces 39 and 3| form substantially a parabolic surface in cross section, as illustrated in Figure 2, with the dirt-finder light source 29 mounted at the focus thereof in order to project an intense beam of light forwardly and downwardly ahead of the suction cleaner nozzle and laterally across the entire length thereof. The curved surfaces 39 and 3| forming the reflector may be suitably coated with a reflective surface to improve the reflection of light therefrom.

The dirt-finder light source 29 is preferably a conventional appliance bulb adapted to operate from the electrical circuit of the suction cleaner, usually 110 volts A. C. or D. 0., although it is within the scope of the invention that lower voltage appliance bulbs may be utilized, the lower voltage for the energization thereof being obtained by tapping leads from the field coils of the suction cleaner motor.

An appliance bulb 29 is adapted for detachably mounting in a socket 32 affixed to the depending r flange 23 contiguous to the side of the reflecting chamber 28. Although the socket has been illustrated as being affixed to the left flange 26, the socket 32 may be obviously mounted upon the other flange. The socket 32 may be either of the bayonet type or screw type for receiving a complementally formed base of the appliance bulb.

Referring particularly to Figures 2 and 3, there will now be described a preferred construction for integrally molding electrical leads 33 and 34 within molded cover plate 20. The electrical leads 33 and 34, meta1 strips for example, as

illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, are embedded in ferred to form the housing ID from a suitably" molded plastic material which serves as an insulator between the conductors 33 and 34, but, however, it is within the scope of the invention, if the housing should be formed of a molded metal, that suitable insulation may be provided at the slots and contiguous thereto, without departing from the scope of the invention, to suitably insulate the prongs 38 and 39 at this point. The prongs 38 and 39 of the leads 33 and 34 engage resilient complementally formed connections 4| which are affixed to the housing ID by securing means 42 which serve to connect leads 43 thereto, the leads 43 preferably being connected in parallel to the 110 volt electrical circuit for the suction cleaner motor.

Referring to Figures 2 to 4 inclusive, there will now be described the novel method of integrally molding the metal strips 33 and 34 in the molded plastic converter cover plate 20. Prior to this invention, it has been extremely difllcult to mold metal inserts which particularly serve as electrical conductors within a relatively thin section of molded material. In the past when electrical conductors of this nature have been molded within a thin walled section of plastic material, they tended to show through because it is difficult to position the inserts within the mold and to place the molding powder uniformly about the metal inserts. For insulation between the inserts 33 and 34, it is preferred to use a form of laminate which is a paper laminate impregnated with a thermosetting plastic such as a phenol condensation product. Although it is preferred to use a type of paper impregnated laminate, it is within the scope of the invention that any type of laminate having suitable insulating qualities may be utilized. For example, laminates may also be used made from urea formaldehyde and melamine formaldehyde plastic. Normally laminates are made by impregnating layers of paper or cloth with a thermosetting plastic material. Although it is preferred to use a laminate impregnated with a thermosetting plastic material, it is also within the scope of the invention that laminates fabricated from paper or cloth and impregnated with a thermoplastic material having suitable insulating qualities may also be utilized.

It is therefore preferred to utilize prefabricated sheets of an impregnated paper laminate complementally formed as illustrated at 44 and 45 extending substantially the width of the converter cover plate 20 as. illustrated in Figure 4 and extending substantially the length thereof as illustrated in Figure 2. The laminates 44 and 45 may also be formed with complementally formed grooves 46 and 41 adapted to receive the inserts 33 and 34. The grooves 46 and 41 may be formed in the laminates 44 and 45 after the members have been cut from sheet material and/or strip material at the same time as these members 44 and 45 are formed to the shape as illustrated in Figure 2 of the converter cover plate 20 within a suitable mold under heat and pressure suificient to mold the members 44 and 45 to shape depending upon the type of thermo-setting and/or thermo-plastic material used in fabricating the laminate. It is preferred to form the inserts 33 and 34 respectively with the holes 48. The upper and lower members 44 and 45 at the time of forming may also be provided with complementally formed dimples, as illustrated in Figure 4, complementally formed with respect to the holes 48 in the inserts 33 and 34 for locating the curved metal inserts with respect to the finished converter cover 20. The laminates 44 and 45 may be heat fused together at the point where the complementally formed dimples engage the holes 48 of the inserts securely aflixing the laminates 44 and 45 together and likewise afllxing the metal inserts in their correctly located position between the laminates.

The prefabricated laminates comprising the members 44 and 45 together with the metal inserts 33 and 34 which have been prefabricated to substantially the final shape of the molded plastic cover plate 20 may then be placed within the mold for completing the molding of the plastic cover plate 20. Suitable molding powder either p of thermo-setting and/or thermo-plastic material may be placed in the lower half of the mold whereupon the fabricated laminate may be located and suflicient molding powder placed thereover to complete the molding of the thermo-plastic cover upon the closing of the mold and the application of heat and pressure suflicient for completing the molding of the plastic cover plate depending upon the type of thermoplastic and/ or thermo-setting molding powder being used for the cover plate and the formation of the laminate therefor. Upon the completion of the molding operation, the molded plastic cover, plate 20 is complete in its horizontal portion and depending flanges thereon and the metal inserts which in the preferred form of the invention serve as conductors are integrally molded together.

In addition to the above method of molding the dirt-finder cover plate, it is within the scope of the invention as another embodiment thereof to utilize in place of the molding powder as described above pre-formed laminates containing a high percentage of thermo-setting and/or thermoplastic material. The high percentage of thermoplastic and/or thermo-setting material imparts a good flow and forming characteristic in the fabrication of the dirt-finder cover plate. In using this method of fabrication, the pre-fabricated laminates comprising the members 44 and 45 together with the metal inserts 33 and 34 are formed as disclosed above. Then, suitably pre-formed laminated material similar to the laminates used in forming the members 44 and 45 and containing a high percentage of plastic material are preformed to substantially the shape of the lower and upper parts of the completed. dirt-finder cover plate construction and complemental to the members 44 and 45. These complementally formed pre-forms are adapted to be inserted in the mold for completing the molding operation. The integrally molded laminates together with the metal inserts thereof are placed in position upon a lower preform positioned within the mold and the upper pre-form of plastic laminated material is placed upon the integrally molded laminates 44 and 45 and the molding of the thermo-plastic cover plate is completed upon closing of the mold and the application of heat and pressure sufllcient for completing the molding of the plastic cover plate, depending upon the type of thermoplastic and/or thermo-setting pre-formed laminates used for the cover plate and the formation of the fabricated laminates therefor. Upon the completion of the molding operation, the molded plastic cover plate 20 is complete with its horizontal portion and depending flanges. together with the metal inserts therefor as previously described.

It is thus evident that there has been formed by the above methods a dirt-finder cover plate formed from molded plastic material having a thin cross-section which is effectively reinforced and strengthened by the integrally molded laminate formed therein together with metal inserts therefor which in the preferred embodiment of the invention serve as conductors for a dirt-finder through the fan chamber and/or the suction nozzle or in a roundabout manner from the motor housing underneath the bumper for the suction cleaner. This construction is likewise, adaptable for molding, for example, a reinforced converter cover plate in which the conducting prongs 38 .suctioncleaner, the extensions of the prongs, for

example the inserts 33 and 34, serving to reinforce the cover plate as previously described together with the laminates between which the metal inserts 33 and 34 are positioned and affixed. A reinforced cover plate formed in this manner is provided with reinforced extending prongs and the like which prevent breaking off of the prongs and also prevents the cover plate from warping.

In order to afilx the cover plate 20 comprising the integrally molded conductors 33 and 34 for the dirt-finder light source 29, the prongs 33 and 33 are positioned within the complementally formed slots 43 engaging the resilient connections and/or spring clips 4|. The cover plate 20 with the dirt-finder light 29 mounted thereon is then tilted downwardly with the complemental- 1y formed latch portion 24 thereon engaging the latch member 23 securely affixing the cover plate in position. The cover plate 20 is removed in the reverseorder by lifting up on the lower portion of the cover plate unlatching the latches 23 and 24 after which the prongs 38 and 39 may be withdrawn disconnecting the electrical circuit of the cover plate from the electrical circuit formed by the connections 43 which are connected to the the attached position, or the appliance bulb may be applied to the dirt-finder cover plate by detaching and attaching the cover plate as previously described. As in all modern suction cleaners, a suitable bumper construction 50 is provided which serves to protect the dirt-finder cover plate of the invention.

Although the molded cover plate 20 has been described by first prefabricating the laminates 44 and Hand assembling the inserts 33 and 34 and affixing them thereto as previously disclosed above, it is also within the scope of the invention that the preformed laminates and the metal insertstogetherwith the molding powder may be assembled in the mold for completing the cover plate without first forming a prefabricated member including the upper and lower laminates 44 and 45 and the inserts 33 and 34 assembled and affixed together. The preferred methods of fabricating the cover plate as disclosed with reference to Figure 4 also prevents the laminates from setting up before the molding powder is poured in or the pre-forms of plastic laminates inserted within the mold and greatly reduces the time of fabrication, for example, as is necessary to separately position each part in the mold during the molding operation.

It is thus evident that there has been disclosed an improved dirt-finder cover plate construction which provides a lighting device and a cover plate for a converter opening for a suction cleaner which is very simplified in design, and easy to assemble. It also enables the dirt-finder light construction to be affixed to the cleaner in a relatively small and limited space with a suitable socket for the appliance bulb and electrical conductors mounted on the cover plate and insulated therefrom which provides the shortest possible electrical connection necessary from the electrical circuit of the motor for the suction cleaner to the dirt-finder light construction located there as close as possible to the surface over which the suction cleaner passes in the cleaning operation ,to efficiently illuminate and project a beam of light forwardly and downwardly uponthe sur- ,face undergoing cleaning.

What is claimed is:

1. In a suction cleaner, a casing including a fan housing and a nozzle, said casing being formed with a converter opening in the front portion thereof, a cover plate construction formed of molded insulating material adapted to be attached to and detached from said casing for opening and closing said converter opening, a dirt finder light source mounted on the lower end of said cover plate, a pair of electrical conductors embedded in said cover plate each having a portion projecting beyond the upper end of said cover plate, means electrically connecting said conductors to said light source, a pair of openings in said casing positioned to receive the projecting portions of said electrical conductors to aid in holding said cover plate in position to close said converter opening, and a pair of electrical contacts in said casing positioned to engage the projecting portions of said conductors when inserted into said openings in said casing.

' 2. In a suction cleaner construction comprising a casing including a fan housing, a nozzle having a converter opening therein, and a motor housing and further including an electrical circuit for energizing the suction cleaner, a dirtforwardly and downwardly ahead of the nozzle and laterally thereof, a reflector formed by a curved portion of the cover plate and a symmetrically formed curved portion formed on the suction cleaner nozzle contiguous to the lower edge of the converter opening whereby a reflector is formed in the mounted position of the dirtfinder cover plate upon the converter opening, metal inserts adapted to form electrical connections adapted to be connected to the dirt-finder light source and to the electrical circuit of the suction cleaner, means for insulating the metal inserts and integrally molded with the inserts within the cover plat whereby the conductors are insulated and the cover plate reinforced, and complementally formed means formed on the metal inserts and the electrical circuit of the suction cleaner whereby in the mounted position of the dirt-finder cover plate the electrical circuit of the dirt-finder light source is completed and in the detached position of the cover plate the electrical circuit of the dirt-finder light source is open.

3. The combination with a suction cleaner comprising a nozzle, and a converter opening formed therein, ajfan chamber formed to the rear of the nozzle and a motor housing positioned rearwardly and contiguous to the fan chamber, of a molded dirt-finder cover plate construction adapted to be mounted on the converter opening, a dirtfinder light'source operatively mounted upon the lower edge of the cover plate and contiguous to the converter opening, a reflecting surface formed by the lower portion of the dirt-finder cover plate and a contiguous surfacein the lower edge of the converter opening in the closed position of the cover plate, an electrical circuit for the dirtfinder light source comprising a plurality of metal inserts integrally molded in the confines of the cover plate and extending substantially the length thereof whereby the molded cover plate is adapted to insulate the metal inserts, and complementally formed means formed on the metal inserts and on the housing for'the motor adapted to serve as cover holding means as well as electrical conductors for the dirt-finder light source whereby, in the attached position of the dirtflnder cover plate, the .electrical circuit of the dirt-finder light source is completed and in the detached position of the dirt-finder light source, the electrical circuit thereof is open.

4. As an article of manufacture, a dirt finder cover plate for a converter opening of a suction cleaner comprising a body of plastic material encompassing a plurality of reinforcing sheets of fibrous material impregnated with plastic material, a lamp socket carried by said body, and metal inserts forming an electrical circuit for said socket lying within said body between certain of said sheets and having portions thereof connected to said lamp socket and other portions thereof extending from an edge of said cover plate to form electrical connecting prongs on said cover plate.

5. As anarticle of manufacture a dirt finder cover plate adapted to be attached to and detached from a converter opening in a suction cleaner, said cover plate comprising a body portion consisting of a plurality of superposed sheets of fibrous material, a pair of metal inserts lying between certain of said sheets and projecting outwardly of one edge thereof, a plastic material bonding said sheets and metal inserts into a unitary structure, a lamp socket secured to a portion of said plate remote from the projecting portions of said inserts, means for electrically connecting said socket to said inserts, said inserts reinforcing said plate and forming an electrical circuit to said socket, the projecting portions of said inserts forming fastening means for said cover plate, and additional latching means on said cover plate to aid in securing said plate to a suction cleaner.

6. In a suction cleaner, a casing including a fan 1 housing, and nozzle, a converter opening formed in. the nozzle, a cover plate for closing said. converter opening, a lamp carried by said cover. plate in position to illuminate a surface outwardly of the upper edge of said cover plate and extending into complementary insulated recesses in said casing to aid in securing said cover plate on said casing, and electrical contacts in said casing engaging the projecting portions of said conductors.

7. In a suction cleaner of the type having a motor casing, a fan chamber positioned forwardly of the motor casing, a suction nozzle structure extending forward ofxthe fan chamber and a converter opening in the nozzle structure provid ing access to the suction inlet of the fan chamber, the combination of a cover plate structur for said converter opening comprising a body of electrically insulating material lying over said opening and having a portion extending over said fan chamber into engagement with said motor casing, a dirt finder lamp mounted on said cover plate in position to illuminate the surface area ahead of said nozzle, metallic strips embedded in said cover plate and projecting outwardly of the portion thereof engaging said motor casing, said motor casing having openings receiving the projecting portions of said strips, electrical contacts in said motor casing engaging the projecting portions of said strips, and means electrically connecting said lamp to said strips.

8. In a suction cleaner of the type having a motor casing, a fan chamber positioned forwardly oi the motor casing, a suction nozzle structure extending forwardly of the fan chamber and a converter opening in the nozzle structure providing access to the suction inlet of the fan chamber, the combination of a cover plate structure for said converter opening comprising a body of electrically insulating material lying over said opening and having a portion extending over said fan chamber into engagement with said motor casing, a dirt finder lamp mounted on said cover plate in position to illuminate the surface area ahead of said nozzle, a light reflecting structure for directing the light from said lamp in a desired direction formed partly on said cover plate and partly on said nozzle, metallic strips embedded in said cover plate and projecting out- 10 wardly of the portion thereof engaging said motor casing, said motor casing having openings receiving the projecting portions of said strips, electrical contacts in said motor casing engaging the projecting portions of said strips, and means electrically connecting said lamp to said strips.

OTIS B. SUTTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 243,180 Ware June 21, 1881 428,428 Strahan May 20, 1890 1,250,959 Brown Dec. 25, 1917 1,289,116 Chubb Dec. 31, 1918 1,863,799 Loetscher June 21, 1932 1,905,999 Ellis Apr. 25, 1933 1,914,273 Meurling June 13, 1933 1,960,180 Cunningham May 22, 1934 1,996,934 'Siedle Apr. 9, 1935 1,998,539 Gams et a1. Apr. 23, 1935 1,999,259 Rozema Apr. 30, 1935 2,065,941 Lane Dec. 29, 1936 2,118,721 Aitken May 24, 1938 2,176,729 Butler Oct. 1'7, 1939 2,184,446 Snyder Dec. 26, 1939 2,188,809 Dow Jan. 30, 1940 2,231,529 Dey Feb. 11, 1941 2,279,666 Etnyre Apr. 14, 1942 2,361,433 Turner Oct. 31, 1944 2,398,890 Howard Apr. 23, 1946 

